ITEMS OF INTEREST

Southland Times, Issue 22210, 30 December 1933, Page 13

ITEMS OF INTEREST

PARS FROM EVERYWHERE. The Amateur Athletic Association of England has taken another step in its efforts to improve the standard of field events in the country. It has appointed a special committee, of which H. M. Abrahams, a former long-jump champion, is chairman, to investigate the weakness of Great Britain in field events and to propose remedies.

The entry of Kaiapoi, Invercargill, and Port Chalmers for the first time into the Z class yacht contest, to be held in January in Dunedin, lends a great deal of interest to the contest, and with nine crews competing the racing for the fine cup given by the Port Nicholson Motor Boat Club will be very keen (states an exchange).

In America recently a legal ruling of an unusual variety concerning golf was given. A woman motorist was struck by a flying golf ball when passing beside a fairway. She sued the player who pleaded that as the ball was badly’ sliced the accident must be construed as an “act of God.” His Honour refused to regard a slice as a matter entirely to be laid at the door of Providence. He awarded £l5O damages.

The selection of the Lavina (Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club) as the boat to represent the Wellington province in the New Zealand 14ft X class championship contest for the Sanders Cup at Lyttelton in February was announced at a meeting of the Wellington Provincial Yacht and Motor Boat Association recently (states the Post). N. D. Blair, who sailed the Lavina in the trials, was chosen as skipper.

Wellington will be represented by a Petone Club eight at the interprovincial rowing contest at Easter. It was announced last week, and is considered by the Post to be a sound combination. “Although it is unlikely that it will succeed in capturing ihe championship from Otago,” the writer adds, “it should certainly make a better showing than other Wellington eights have done in the past.” Following is the crew:—L. Home (stroke), C. Gimblett (7), G. Crabtree (6), A. Hope (5), W. Lind (4), H. R. Mackay (3), D. Mcßride (2), and H. Bishop (bowj. The emergencies are K. Boswell and B. Crane, and the coach is W. Garrett. Gimblett, Hope, and Lind rowed in last year’s crew, and Bishop (late of the Avon Club) was unlucky not to be chosen in Canterbury's eight last season.

An unusual incident took place during’ the progress of the CanterburyOtago boys’ senior match at Dunedin. A Canterbum’ boy played the ball and then picked it up to throw back to the bowler, who immediately appealed. The umpire had no option but to give the batsman out for “handling the ball.” An appeal under such circumstances is generally regarded as being “not the thing,” but all the same there is too much of this handling of the ball even in senior cricket, and one cannot help feeling that it gives a “countrified” air to the game. Certainly, from what one has read, it is one of those things for which the late W. G. Grace would have Quickly pulled up the batsman.

Before the commencement of the cricket match between South Australian and Victorian teams of former A.I.F. men on University Oval, Adelaide. on December 26 and 27, a stump used by the A.I.F. team in the game against the Gentlemen of England at Lord's in 1919 will be burned (says an Australian writer). The ashes will be placed in an urn, a replica in silver of the wooden urn presented by Melbourne women to the Hon. Ivo Bligh (afterwards Lord Darnley). The ashes will be presented to the winning team.

Writing on the players’ prospects of selection for the Australian team for - England, E. H. M. Baillie writes in the Sporting Globe: “When the season started it seemed that Wall and O’Reilly were the only bowlers who were absolutely sure of selection, and that still seems to be the case, although it seems to me that Grimmett must again be one of the tourists. I can see no one to take his place, even if Chilvers and Mair prove to be all the New South Wales critics claim for them. Personally, I want to see something of them before coming to conclusions. Chilvers I have seen only once, some years ago, since when he has not appeared very often in big cricket; Mair I have not seen at all. One of these may go as a support to Grimmett in the slow bowling, but I am convinced that Grimmett must go in any case.”

“One of the most enjoyable occasions when I played tennis was on the Canadian Pacific liner Empress of Britain, which has a full-sized lawn tennis court on board,” writes D. Andrews, in a northern paper. “On my trip from Quebec to Southampton I was able to play every afternoon. It is real ‘tennis at sea.’ Everything was complete, wjth back netting and roomy backline. Another interesting experience I had was being the guest of Mr Mikimoto, who is the millionaire pearl island owner of Japan, and was able to gather a good knowledge of the culture and fishing of pearls around the ‘lnland Sea’—which, by the way. is some of the most beautiful sea travel I have seen anywhere. In Ceylon, the lawn tennis championships are played at an altitude of 6.000 ft. The rarity of the air makes it almost impossible to play one s usual game on account of the ball ‘flying to an extraordinary degree. In places like Malaya and the Dutch East Indies, the best players of those parts are in most cases Chinese or Japanese. The climate prevents the European player from maintaining his usual enterprising type of game. That also applies to Siam. One of the most beautiful parts of the world where a tournament is held is at Banff Springs, in the Canadian Rockies, where one is surrounded by nine mountain peaks, all snow-clad. Tennis courts also are to be found all over Janan —even in the land around Mount Fugi and at Miyanoshita,”

Coupland, late Otago and Southland representative, was the bowler who kept the batsmen quiet over the early stages of the game between East Christchurch and St. Albans (says the Christchurch Sun). During the day he tossed up twenty-eight overs, eleven of them maidens. He maintained a good length, with an occasional loose one that the batsmen should have accepted for what it was worth.

A new cycling club has been formed in Invercargill under the name of the Invercargill Cash Cycling Club, and Mr Cranstown has been elected secretary. This club is conducting a road race on December 30 from Invercargill to Mataura a distance of 33 miles, the start being timed for 2.30 p.m. The prizes are as follow: —First £5, second £2, third £l, fastest time £l. Prizes will also be awarded for the oldest rider, youngest rider, and first outside rider to finish—Dunedin Star.

Whatever might be the ultimate fate of Larwood’s damaged foot, he is apparently still determined _ to play cricket. He reiterates that if he can never bowl fast again he will bowl slow. And, as an English critic suggests, there is no reason why he should not be a good spinner of the ball. In fact, he would not be creating a precedent if he did make good with a new method. Several cricketers who put their faith in speed at the beginning of their careers have met with increased success after they reduced their pace. Schofield, Haig, Bosanouet, and R. O. Schwarz, pioneers of the googly, and L. Braund, whose slow leg breaks helped to win many test matches, all bowled fast when they first played for their counties

Referring to possible selections for the Empire Games, the Melbourne Sporting Globe says:—“Judged on recent form, Jack Metcalfe (N.S.W.) is in many respects a one-man team,, because of his brilliance and versatility. On his form over the running high jump and the hop, step and jump he looks a sure winner, not only here, but in England. Whether his studies will permit of his going to, England next year remains to be seen.

Fine as was H. D. Smith’s innings of 151 for West Christchurch against Lancaster Park on Saturday week, yet perhaps the. most notable feature was the manner in which he dealt with I. B. Cromb’s leg theory (says the Christchurch Star). He made a meal of the bowler at times, either pushing the leg stuff past the cordon of five fieldsmen, or smacking it hard to the square leg boundary, or following it round, and helping it onwards behind the wicket. Smith, after surviving one or two knocks, had a merry time with Cromb, and even went as far as gliding the ball from the leg stump to third man country, where there was no fieldsman. Smith was in something over three hours in all on both Saturdays, but made his runs, exactly a hundred of them, in much faster time on Saturday than on the previous day.